17 December 2013

Tearfund blogging challenge

Last week, Tearfund launched a brand new bloggers challenge, inviting UK Christian bloggers to be a part of a storytelling trip to Cambodia in early 2014.

The Christian relief and development agency invites bloggers to apply to travel in March 2014 to Cambodia to meet people who are finding their own way out of poverty with the help of the local Church.

Bloggers will meet people like 13-year-old Seng, who used to worry for his family and about how his mother, Rim, will be able to feed them. With training and support from Tearfund, Seng and his family's lives are beginning to change for the better. Rim joined a chicken raising group started by Tearfund, and is now learning new skills and earning enough money to be able to provide for her family again.

"Bloggers can change the world or at the least they can change the way people view the world." says Krish Kandiah, director of churches in mission at the Evangelical Alliance, and member of the judging panel.

"This exciting competition will help us find bloggers who can use their skills to help many people see the country and people of Cambodia through God's eyes."

The bloggers will be challenged to use their unique, creative skills to encourage people to donate towards the transforming work of local churches around the world, for people like Seng and his family.

"Bloggers are storytellers by nature, and we know we have some amazing stories waiting to be told," says Tearfund's UK director Andrew McCracken.

"Every blogger has a unique way of communicating, and we wanted to invite three talented communicators to see for themselves what poverty is really like in Cambodia, and how the Church is transforming lives for good."

Bloggers are invited to apply to join the trip by writing a sample blog post explaining why they want to travel to Cambodia with Tearfund and how they expect to attract people to give regularly to help churches transform their communities.

Entries close on 5 January 2014. A judging panel including Krish Kandiah (Evangelical Alliance), Sally Hitchiner (Anglican priest and broadcaster), Richard Littledale (Baptist minister, blogger and author) and Tearfund's Head of corporate communications Katie Harrison will choose three bloggers from the shortlist.